Natalia ISD holding virtual Town Hall meetings July 23

Natalia ISD administration is hosting four virtual Town Hall meetings on Thursday, July 23 to answer parent questions about the upcoming 2020-2021 school year.
The meetings will be held via Zoom and will be in English at 12:00 pm and 5:30 pm, and in Spanish at 1:30 pm and 7:00 pm. Links to attend the meetings will be posted on the district’s website, nataliaisd.net, as well as on its social media pages on July 23.

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Interim Superintendent Dr. Lana Collavo, Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction Lori Robinson, Athletic Director Ilyan Martinez, and campus principals Carmen Maglievaz, Dr. Edgar Camacho, and Dr. Andrea Moreno-Hewitt will be present in the meetings to answer parent questions.
Dr. Collavo released the following letter to parents about the forthcoming school year on July 16.

July 16, 2020
Dear Parents or Guardians,
The 2020-21 school year is almost upon us and there are still some unknowns. Natalia ISD staff is working hard to prepare for the new school year with a strong remote instruction plan for remote learning and on-site instruction. I want to provide an update on instruction for the fall. Also, for your information, the official instructional calendar is included with this letter.
Last spring, the staff, and students had to quickly transition to remote instruction. The State of Texas has recently provided guidance and requirements related to remote learning and how it will look for the school year 2020-21. Unlike remote instruction in the spring, daily attendance tracking will be required for ensuring that students are actively engaged in learning and for the District to receive state funding for providing instruction. Students in remote instruction will be held to the same attendance rules and grading standards as students who are on campus. Each District is charged with developing a plan for remote learning that meets the State’s new requirements.
Students participating in remote learning will be required to log in for some live interaction with the teacher and will also work through assignments without live interaction. In order for the District to receive funding for providing instruction, students in remote learning will be required to participate in the learning process each day that school is in session. For example, students who log on to do work once in a week will be counted as present for one day and absent for four days. Students are held to the grading policies and the same attendance rules as students who are attending school on-site. Students with excessive absences in remote learning are subject to losing credit for attendance and violating the compulsory attendance rules.
In order for a district to provide for remote instruction, on-campus instruction is required. So, provided there are no statewide closures, in September the district plans to open its doors to students for the first time since March 9. Protocols for safety will be in place. Social distancing will be implemented as required by the state both inside and outside of the buildings. Visitors inside the buildings will be limited. Face covering requirements established by the state will be enforced. Currently, the District is planning a three-week phase-in to on-site instruction. At this time the plan is for all students to begin the year remotely. Those who choose on-site instruction will be phased into on-site instruction during week two and week three of school.

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Decisions regarding participation in UIL activities by remote learners are pending. The District will host virtual Town Hall Meetings in English and Spanish on July 23 to present more information and respond to questions as time allows. The meetings will be at 12:00 pm (English), 1:30 pm (Spanish), 5:30 pm (English), and 7:00 pm (Spanish). Our district website (Nataliaisd.net) and social media outlets will have the link posted the day of the meeting. The District also has a Frequently Asked Questions document on the district website.
Two weeks before the first day of school, the district will ask you to choose between remote instruction and on-site instruction for the 2020-21 school year. Students who select Remote Learning may switch to On-Campus Instruction at the start of each new nine-week grading period. Students who start with On-Campus Instruction can switch to Remote Learning at any time due to COVID-19 concerns but must then stay remote for the duration of the nine-week grading period. Special education and 504, Gifted & Talented, Bilingual, and other special program services will be provided for remote learners.
Please watch for more information regarding registration for the 2020-21 school year. Online registration will begin Tuesday, July 21, 2020 for all returning students. Registration will continue on August 4-6.
I appreciate your patience and understanding through the process of preparing for instruction in the fall. Depending on guidance from the State, it is possible that plans will change in the next several weeks.
Thank you,
Lana Collave, Ed.D
Interim Superintendent
Natalia ISD